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Committee advances bill to expand child drug-exposure law to all controlled substances; debate centers on warrants and removals
Summary
Lawmakers voted to report HB 473 'ought to pass' after testimony from law enforcement and youth advocates urging expansion of the existing methamphetamine-based statute to include all controlled substances; medical and child-welfare experts warned of harms from warrantless removals and involuntary testing.
The House Children and Family Law Committee voted to recommend passage of House Bill 473, which would expand New Hampshire’s existing statute on methamphetamine-exposed children to cover exposure to all controlled substances and authorize law enforcement to take a child into protective custody for medical screening when there is reasonable suspicion of exposure.
Representative Nelson introduced the bill, saying law enforcement officers, including Alexandria Police Chief David Suckling, and youth advocates urged expansion because fentanyl and other drugs are increasingly found in environments where…
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